Eye Floaters Causes & Cures

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Eye Floaters Images

A few images of eye floaters as seen by the authors. These are obviously photoshop modified as to represent what the author sees. Some people see black eye floaters.

This image depicts what a floater looks like when viewing the sky (or any other light background). Remember that eye floaters are different for everyone.

Another case of mild floaters.

A more severe case of eye floaters.

Eye Floaters Videos

A few persons have asked me to include the Family Guy episode that briefly mentions eye floaters. Although I aim to make this website as accurate and professional as possible, I see no harm in including the video on this website. If you haven't seen it, here it is:

This is an interesting video of what eye floaters actually look like.

If you wish to share an image or video related to eye floaters, please don't hesitate to contact us.

85 Comments

didn’t know this was actually a documented medical condition
I’ve got used to them and sometimes kill time by trying fix my gaze on them and following them around my field of vision when they move around.

Where does it say that eye floaters are a documented medical condition? They are simply annoying, as you can see from the pics above. And Renju, if you get used to them it doesn’t mean we can all get used to them – some people’s eye floaters are very severe and can interfere with their daily lives.

Jenay: remember that young people are susceptible to eye floaters as well. As a matter of fact, what you’re experiencing is probably not technically eye floaters. They are there for a different reason. Go to your eye doctor for more information.

I’ve had them for most of my life (49 years) never knowing what they were until now. How annoying. I think they’re getting more prominent as I get older. But as long as they don’t interfere with my overall eyesight I’m ok with them.

Hi My Eye Floaters Scare Me. I See A Big One Only In The Light When Iam Outside. In The Daytime. My Doc Said Dont Worry but iam Very Scare Somebody please Help Me With A Reply Iam 29 Nobody understands How I Feel Sunglasses Dont even Help Iam Worry!!!!! =…(

Hi everyone, I am 29 years old, I have had eye floaters for several years now and they are progressively getting worse. I find they get worse when I lower my water intake, am not eating well, when I am stresses and as a social smoker when I smoke (so basically when I am not looking after myself as well as I could be). They are so annoying! I have been to an optometrist and a retinal specialist and they have both assured me that my eyes are perfectly healthy. I feel your frustration, and being overly worried about them is probably causing stress and making the condition worse. Since I have started talking about them I have been amazed at how many other people also have them, so get out there and talk to others about their experiences and what they have done to manage and get used to having them. Good luck!

i begane seeing flashes out of the corner of my eye, then the same night i coulded find what looked like an eyelash right in the middle of my vision. by morning i had a donut type ring and several black particals, i ended up the day after having lazer surgery due to a retinal detatchment.

hi am 14 years old and i was concerned beacause i did not now what it was i went the emergincy room and doctors did not understand what i had they examined my eye they did not find anything than letter they found out i had eye floaters now it hard for me too ingore this floaters but when i do something fun i dont see it

I sometimes see \”floaters\” agaisnt dark color surfaces too, like the road (yeah, super fun when i take a drivers test!) To me they are like the target logo, (but not red) and really small and they well, float around. Hard to do much about em

Had floaters for over 20 years, a year ago developed a huge \”blob\” in right eye, doctor says not worry may go away – still there. Two weeks ago developed one in left eye, hard to see to drive or read clearly. Now they are talking about vitrectory, really scared, anyone had this procedure?

I had the floater since I child. It only occur in my left eye. I was really dont know about this before, I thought every person had this dragon thingy flying when we saw the bright sky before. When I ask it to my friends who was a doctor he said, what you need is more vitamin A, I thought he dont understand about this floater stuff. I am glad to know what is that actually.

I have flashes of light in the corner of my eye and they scare me enough to make me jump. Then I have these perfectly round and black-lined lights that float across my eye at the bottom and top outer-edges. They even look as if they bump into each other at times. It\’s gross! They give me the chills because they are so unusual.

I have one floater that looks like the first image and then three other dark grey spots. They never leave my vision though? They are permanetly in the same position and have been for a few weeks now. Are they harmless even though they don\’t float around ?

I noticed eye floaters at the age of 13 or 14 years of age. I got very scared because I did not know what they were; now I am 58 years old and (of course) I have been reading about it and it\’s the \”natural wrinkles of our eyes\”. I went to a fantastic Ophtalmologist and she told me to \”make friends with them, because they do not go away\”. All I could and can do is ignore them and when I see a new one, usually they are strung together like little worms I remember her words…\”make friends with them\”. For the past few weeks, I\’ve noticed a \”crescent moon like\” little light that comes up when I look in the clear sky…it is soo anoying, I made an appointment with a ophtalmologist to make sure it is one of them. Share your experiences, we are not crazy nor are the only ones…it\’s simply that nobody educate us and we panic!!!

i just started getting them they are not as bad as some of the photos ive seen and it only happens when its sunny out and im playing outside theyll just come and go and im really scared because i dont want to go blind so can someone tell me can i go blind????

@gina : how is the result of your consultation? according to your story, you have been suffering from it like 45 years, despite the new one you told us, was everything okay until then? try to describe ur level of floaters now by installing this http://ww

I\’ve been seeing floaters for years now… around the time I got glasses which was 7 or 8 years old. I\’m still only 16 and they\’ve been getting worse recently, like the 1st two pics above and also loads of tiny black specks that I can\’t focus on which look like flies. I can\’t look at any summer sky or anything without them swimming around my visiion. And what is annoying is I simetimes mistake them for flies and try to hit something that isn\’t there! My friends think it sounds really wierd and i guess it does, they\’re lucky not to have them

i am 17
i first got 1 in my left eye
and then they increased
i have had check ups from very good doctors
they have increased manifold
it is very irritating
today saw 1 in my right eye too
but at least after reading the article
i am going to start excercising

Had a vitrectory back in April on left eye, going next week for the right eye. My floaters were all gathered together like trash in a pond. Vision was blurred like trying to see through a dirty windshield all the time. Dr. says some due to age, just debris fluffing off wall of vitreous & floating around. Sight is much better in left eye now, excited about getting other one done.

had flashing light in corner of left eye about 4 months ago now have the dreaded floaters. its like cobwebs in front of my eye and drives me crazy.l try to clear them by blinking but doesnt make any difference, . worry about losing my vision as dont understant whats going on.

I\’m just about to turn 16. I have quite a few of these (a few dozen, maybe…I don\’t try to count them), though I am unable to tell which eye they\’re in. (I\’m directionally challenged o.o\’\’ ) I used to have them only when I was in the car, so I figured it was due to abnormal light intake since I have a natural sensitivity to brightness and bright colors, but in the past two weeks I\’ve been having them right in the middle of class and everything (as I type this I even have a few.) They vary in shape and size, though mostly it looks a bit like a cell with an increadibly long flegellum ^^\’\’ I\’ve also been dealing with my friend being very ill lately. On top of exams next week, could the sudden increase be due to stress?

Also, my mum told me that it was only dust particles that managed to stick themselves onto my eyes. Soooo I guess she was wrong…heh…I shall show her this and hopefully we can mention it to my eyedoctor this summer.

I have had these as long as I can remember. My dad had them and used to tell his friends about he could tell which ones were old blood cells (brownish) – he was a dentist and knew anatomy. I do notice that as I age, they are more pronounced and they show up in normal light as oppposed to bright light before. I like to \”play\” with them and watch them float and swirl. Some are opaque but most are much like the images. Like a snowglobe, but I have made peace with them and accept them as part of me.
Should I be concerned about \”purple bruising\”
lights in the corners of my left eye? I was just probably overtired…but that was new to me last night..

i am 26 and have had them as long as i can remember. i feel like they are growing in number progressively faster each year. I have been to two doctors and they say my eyes are fine. with all these posts i read its comforting that i guess this is just something some of us live with. like amy said when i am totally involved in something i harldy notice them. The more we accept them the more they will not trap us in fear. just like body dysmorphic disorder empowering negative thoughts makes their presence and power greater than it is.

I have had floaters for many years, and also the rings in the corners of my eyes, I have learned to live with them. Seems they are annoying, but eye doctors assure me they are harmless.

Lately though, I have noticed floaters the color of blood ( two nights now ) that only appear when I lie down to sleep they are like ghosts, and scare the life out of me when I open eyes and see these shadows.
Has anyone had this problem? Is it serious?

Im 13 and ive had floaters for over a year now…and they r really annoying. At first i thought they were harmless because my mom said she had them as a child and still has them. they recently got worse and ive seen flashes of light too. My vision flickers and i dont even want to go outside because of them. I thought it was something rare, but im glad im not the only one with them.

I have had floaters since childhood. Still remember the first Optometrist that I saw. There were times when they were not so noticeable, but for the past few years it seems they are getting much worse. My vision is actually blurry with them. Drives me crazy to try to read. I used to be able to \”shift\” my eyes to get them out of the direct field of vision, but there are so many now I can\’t do that.

after reading all these comments of other people it has put my mind at ease i must say. I am 23 years old and have started getting them the past 6 or so months… mine are white/clear they are little black slits that drift across my eyes.. seems like they are there ALL the time though.. they still annoy me and it does get me down, i am worried about going blind or having retina problems though… does going to an eye doctor do anything? or do they just tell you the same thing as here?? Thanks

I am 38 years old, about 6 months ago I seen a couple of tiny black specks in my eye, then a week later it was a cloud of tiny black specks.It is very bothersome and depressing.Doctor said it was normal and I would get used to them. Well I haven\’t got used to them. I pray they don\’t get worse and that they find a simple cure for all of us who have problems with them. I feel a little better hearing all the other testimonies. Lets have faith that they will go away. Thanks everyone.

I asked my anatomy teacher what these where and even he did not know. But I am not worried about these because I read the site and it\’s not doing any harm. I understand if you have a serious case for you to be worried. But I was reading some of the comments. And really? Most of you are freaking out when it\’s common. Eh, oh well. I do not mind my floaters because I watch this anime called Mushishi and they say you can see the mushi (pure forms of life older than bacteria) in your eyes. And when they showed the mushi in Ginko\’s eye (He has only one.) they looked just like eye floaters. So to me it\’s like \”Dude, I have freaking mushi!! Woo!!\” And I sit in my bed or class playing with them moving them around. Giving them names. >_>

These floaters have suddenly 1 morning appeared out of the blue. I went to an optemetrist today and she told me that I should not worry about them…but may also be a sign of other problems like high blood pressure, diabetes,and *hold your breath* HIV, not tryin to freak you out but you should consult with your doctor…I hate them so much =O(

I lol at all these people freaking out over something as trivial as an eye floater. What you guys need to do is just take a chill pill. Don\’t let them bother you. It\’s like the placebo effect. You think it\’s something to worry about and then it turns into a problem. Just enjoy life and if it does get worse go to your doctor and stop complaining and being an attention-whore trying to get someone to talk to you when everything you need to know is on this website. Don\’t be lazy. Geez people.

Six years ago I had flashing lights and floaters in my right eye from posterior vitreous detachment. I had one big black floater in the center of my vision that was attached and snapped back and forth like a big black snake. Then I developed a scar on my retina over two years, ended up with completely wavy vision. I took the risk of becoming blind to have the retinal scar and vitreous gel removed. I had trouble seeing for a long time, but recovered after cataract surgery. A miracle no floaters and 20/25 vision. It was a relief!. Then three days ago I had the same situation happen in my left eye, floaters extremely thick and dense – I had to have laser surgery to fix a tear in my retina. These floaters are much worse than the last and take over my vision completely. I don\’t know if I can take this whole process again. My doctor said they do not do surgery for floaters alone, so only time will tell. This whole thing has been agonizing!

i got mine too. the dr told me he doesnt recommend surgery because up to now there is clear explanation on how to get rid of them. i was told to just wear sunglasses, only black and brown are truly recommended for our eyes.

that sounds like you have a damaged eye you should go to the eye doctors because i went with my eye floaters and they said if i ever get flashing lightts in the sides or bottom or top of my eye to come back strait away because it is a eye deseas that causes the retena or your eye to detach making you go blind but if you catch it intime they can help it so yeh go to your opticians about it soon as if its not too late

I\’m 56 and have had moderate floaters for at least 30 years of that…last year (July 2010)I was doing some weight lifting and the increase in blood pressure caused both eyes to suffer a Posterior Vitreous Detachment which flooded both my eyes with dozens of floaters. Only those of you who know what I mean can understand the fear, anxiety and depression. I was told by my opthomologist to live with it as there was no remedy….instead, I flew from British Columbia to Falls Church Virginia and had Dr.Karikoff use his YAG laser to blast what floaters he could. The result was a 50% reduction of those little buggers and I plan on visiting Dr.Johnson in Irvine California to eliminate the rest….THERE IS HOPE FOR US !!!!

Hi, I developed floaters last year around June time. I just woke up to find loads in both eyes. They look massive. Larger than my eye. It\’s like long black stringy and curly, and even cloudy. Ive had them checked out and my eyes are healthy. But theres somethign wrong. i know there is. so depsresed that i felt like my life was runied. and it is really but i just hope that there is a cure in my life time. Also it does help when other epeople are experiencing these. I need some help, FIND A GOD DAM CURE!!!!

I have had eye floaters for as long as I can remember. I am now 38 years old. For the last 2 months, I have noticed in my left eye, bigger brownish eye floaters. I had an exam yesterday and all seemed to look normal, although she said the brown floaters WERE very big. She said to watch and make sure they do not get larger and if I experience light flashing or as if a curtain is closing over the eye, to come in right away. This affects my vision alot and is a pain in the butt! It’s getting worse every few days…would love to know how to get rid of them or if anyone else has experienced the same thing..

ive had bad floaters all my life, when i was a young boy , i thought i was the only lad with these horrible pests, got paranoid for years thinking i was going blind and it really messed me up as a lyoung boy, i complained all the time about the rank party gowers in ma eyes to mum and dad, they took me to see specialists but same ol same ol, DEAL WITH IT, DEAL WITH IT DEAL WITH IT…..still gets me down from time to time , but since my partner found this site and shew me, i feel so much better ……im always looking in the sky as i race pigeons and also play football, DISTURBING STUFF, people think your lying when you tell them, but weve gotta deal with it……i want surgery to get rid……ive had laser eye surgery for my sight and now ive got clear vision its made these horrible wrong ens clearer and more visable……..dont like the risks 30% is far from confident……so think i,ll wait, deal with ecstacy buzzed up ravers in my eyes……..

i really think that theres alot of young children and even adults that dont understand about these floaters there should be more awareness about it DISEASE..!!!not a disease but it feels like one…….bet there mums and dads telling there children to stop going on about there spiders ,worms ,dragen all on class A,s ….hahaha….smashing it on the dance floor inside your eyes.!!!!!so PARENTS who are trying to understand what there children are telling them…….beleve them…..im not dishing ma parents what so ever but i used to get looked at like i was bloody mental…..finally got took the the specialist….when i look back now i was qiute depressed in a big way…….

I am 44, I did not have floaters a year ago. they developed during the same time as my cataract got to an operation stage. Now I have silicone eye lenses and my floaters are growing day by day…I wake up in the morning to search my field of vision every time! It scares me, worries me…The doctor said they will disappear after a few months…I don\’t think so, as I have every day/ week more and more…this really looks like the begingin of a sad story….Has any of you experienced these types of floaters?

I am 58 and I didn\’t know that I have eye floats depite having it for more than a year until I have my eyes checked by an optician for a pair of new glasses. I guess mine is not a serious one as I see only a few tiny light brown spots/thread like images and I don\’t really find them irritating as more often than not I don\’t realize that they exist. It has cleard my doubt about floaters after reading through some of the articles in the internet and I just have to live with it.

Hey, You can get those floaters taken out now. Its a Vitreous gel problem. To my understanding they take out the gel in your eye and replace it with clear fluid of some kind. They also have a yag surgery they can do. google it or talk to your Ophthalmologist.

Ä± am 19 and Ä± have eye floaters since 1 year i think it is getting more day by day.NOW i am so depressed and Ä± dont want to go out in the morning.just Ä± want to go out at night.since this problem i love nights:)at the same time my major is computer engineering and when i look to computer screen floaters are coming immediately.i dont know what Ä± will do.every times i am getting good after pray to GOD.when Ä± am praying Ä± am thinking that there are some people who cant see ever.

I am 43 and just started seeing something in my vision that looks much like a fiber under a microscope. It is transparent but I can make out the outline of it. I noticed them about 2 months ago. I am trying not to make a big deal out of it until I feel they are getting out of control. I understand that as I age my body starts to break down and this might just be that and nothing really serious.

I saw bright lights that affected me even when I closed my eyes for a few minutes. It gave me some anxiety, and I still have a bit of a headache. I took some baby aspirin just in case, and I am better for now. Still trying to figure out what this was? A floater or something else, I don\’t know. I suppose I will mention to my doctor the next time I go in.

I had LASIK a month ago. I don\’t know whether I\’m just being paranoid or there\’s a serious problem with my eyes. I see fuzzy at night and fuzzy all over the walls. I dont know if these are floaters or not. I also see flashing dots if I look at the wall or the floor. I also have a Greyish transparent dot in my eye. My eyesight was -3.5 so it was Not too bad before. I can see perfect apart from that. In one way I wish I had not had laser eye surgery as it has made me depressed. U had it done at optical express and on my aftercare appointments the eye doctor said I was fine. She looked at the back of my eye and did a visual field test. I still can\’t help but worry. To the point where I want tk go in anti depressants. Anybody got any ideas

I\’ve got the type that look like semi-transparent pieces of lint. Right eye has about 10 well-defined examples. Left eye has 3 very transparent examples. My largest is crescent-shaped and from top to bottom is about as long as my thumb is wide when viewed at arm\’s length.

I only have vision in my right eye and for the past 1-2yrs I have had this grey crescent float from by my nose to about halfway across my visual field. I am just very worried because I do not want to go blind- i would rather be dead than blind – but i dont know waht to do. my eye doc said its just a part of aging, but i want a 2nd opinion. im so scared of going blind. i am 24yrs old and am studying to be a doctor

Im glad im not the only one seeing these floaters.. mine started nine months ago. At first, I thought there was a tiny spider web hanging close to the corner of my eye. I was surprised when it suddenly moved when I moved my eyes. At first it got me worried but I get used to it..

- monitor blood pressure, potassium rich food, drinking a lot of water and having physical exercise 1h / week which of at least 15 min of heavy one.
- all inflammations in your body make things worse. These are especially induced by vascular diseases and in general by the metabolic syndrome. Get rid of these! A moderate dose of aspirin seems to suppress inflammations, but keep to dose low.
- take it cool – all extra adrenaline that is not consumed by your muscles is very harmful to your body also in several other sense. Also, avoid situations the get a temporary high blood pressure peaks (excluding moderate exercise) as with sudden alcohol intake of smoking.
- have regular eye exercise by rapidly moving your eyes mostly left to right (easier to have a larger, rapid swing) and also top to bottom. This can break floaters that you can observe by yourself if this gives help for you. Few minutes at a time should already make some difference. Also, this eye exercise helps to improve flow of liquids from eyes.

Hope these hints may help you. In most cases floaters are a sign of older age, but also older age can be enjoyable if we take care of ourselves

What an awesome thread this is. When you first start seeing floaters, I think the first reaction for all of us was probably one of fear, then annoyance, then depression. After depression sets in you\’re gonna have to make a simple choice, either get used to them, because they\’re a part of life or get on depressants. I personally don\’t think they\’re that big of a deal. I\’ve had them for so long that I\’m used to them, but it is what it is. If your floaters become very serious, an eye surgeon can replace the Vitreous fluid with saline fluid.

I am thirty years old and I have very bad floaters I have been to numerous opticians and opthamoligist each time having.a full dialated examination and all I ever get told is my eyes look fine and I have to get used to them but each day they seem to be worse,i really dont know what to do next as all the profesionals say I am fine and try to ignore them its so so hard cause I really feel there is something not right I also see bright dots of light now and again…

I also have been having these weird what look like little puffs of grey smoke in my right eye that seem to move when i move my eye!! im 37yr old male and have noticed this is more prominent when i wake in the morning!!

I’ve had eye floaters since childhood. They have been getting worse over time, I am now 33, I can’t count how many because there are hundreds in clusters, but most are transparent smoky grey. I also have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Asperger’s since childhood, I thought maybe that was the cause, my eyes are very sensitive to light.

I am saleem, age 29 years . for one year eye floaters is disturbing my sight. I consulted many eye specialist,they told that there is no treatment for it. I completely disappointed in my life. I am dreaming one day without eye floaters.

One day i consulted a doctor in our locality, he prescribed one lubricant eye drops for me. he assured
it will go.

Name : flogel
Manufacturer : cipla (India )

I visited another senior ophthalmologist. He told that
this is coming because of the fluid problem in our eyes.But i am not satisfied with him.

Now i am completely satisfied with your vedio, that enable me to understand actual problem i am facing.

i see floaters from last few years im 23yrs old my both the eyes were injured when i was small. now if i want to stay stable in my future period without increase in floaters wht should i do?,how to protect my eyes.i have gray&black floaters.if i go for a eyesurgery to remove my glases(-1.5 in both eyes)is it harmful plzz help me doc kartikjadhav89@gmail.com

I developed floaters about a year ago in my right eye. Now they’re in my left eye too. All of them are wormlike in shape and filled with tiny bubbles throughout. I’ve always heard people describe floaters as transparent and wormlike, but have never heard of anyone describing them filled with bubbles from end to end. Each one has a head on one end that’s also filled with tiny bubbles and some of them break off into two wormlike shapes off of one head. Is this normal and does it sound like floaters to you guys or something else entirely? They are getting worse and worse and are now ruining my life completely.

I’m in my 50′s and have had more serious floaters for about 10 years, now. Mine range from “spider webs” to “hairs” to “bubbles”, but by far the most bothersome are dark blotches that sometimes interfere with reading, focus, etc. Sometimes when I’m driving, they cause me to suddenly swerve as they appear to be something darting in front of my car. Ha, the funny thing is that drivers behind me instinctively swerve as well!
If I had to number them, it would be in the thousands, and in both eyes. There is hardly any area in my view that isn’t affected. I’ve been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Sjogren’s Syndrome, which I believe affect production of the floaters.
They used to be tolerable and I could ignore them, but not any more. Now they are a pain and they tend to interfere with so many things.
I asked an Optometrist if he could check them or do something about them, but he said, no. :-/